We
had not come to eastern Turkey to see the city
of Van, Tusba, the Muradiye Falls or Akdamar
Island, with their ancient legends, fascinating
history and scenic beauty. Instead, leaving them
all behind we headed for Ahlat. Only Lake Van
remained our faithful companion as we drove on,
looking out onto its magical beauty. Referred
to as the 'sea' by local people, Lake Van spans
the province of Bitlis to the west and Van to
the east. Ahlat lies on its western shore between
the towering mountain of Nemrut to the southwest
and Süphan to the northeast. Behind the town
stretches the plain of Ahlat. Mount Nemrut is
the last of Turkey's volcanos ever to erupt, and
it was one of its ancient eruptions which created
Lake Van. The flowing lava petrified to form a
natural dam, behind which the waters collected
to form Turkey's largest lake. In the crater of
Mount Nemrut itself is Lake Nemrut, also a record
holder as Turkey's deepest lake.

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Ahlat
is famed for its Seljuk period mausoleums, whose
magnificent architecture and stone carving have
led historians to describe it as the land of
the Seljuk renaissance. These tombs number among
the greatest monuments of early Turkish civilisation
in Anatolia. The history of this region can
be traced back to the 15th century BC. It was
ruled in turn by the Assyrians, Urartians, Medes,
Persians, Macedonians, Seleucids, Parthians
and Alatosians, to be followed by the Byzantines,
Abbasids and diverse principalities. Ahlat,
anciently Hilat, changed hands frequently, and
was the scene of countless uprisings and invasions.
The Seljuk Turks took Ahlat in 1093, and ruled
here until 1230. This was followed by more centuries
of upheaval, which lasted until Ahlat became
part of the Ottoman Empire after the Battle
of Çaldiran in 1514. So Ahlat
is a town which has seen many peoples come and
go, and survived periods of prosperity and adversity.

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Two
hours after setting out from Van our coach arrived
in Tatvan, where we halted briefly. The mood
of exploration was upon us, and each of the
villages and towns with their own distinct character
that we had passed through had beckoned us to
stay and discover them. In Tatvan we were almost
tempted to remain overnight, but as the blue
sky was concealed by lowering clouds we decided
to carry on to our final destination of Ahlat
without delay.

VDuring the 45 minute journey to Ahlat we conversed
excitedly. We had heard so much about it, but
none of us had ever been there before. On our
arrival we were met by Hasan Uludag, director
of the town's guest house for teachers, which
since the Selçuk Hotel was closed for
renovation, was for the moment the only place
to stay in Ahlat. We spent four nights there.
The next morning we set out to see the renowned
mausoleums, known as kümbet, nineteen of
which are scattered over the area.

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Some
stand by the road, some at the edge of fields,
others in peoplsre gardens or on hilltops. These
centuries old buildings are among the finest
examples of Seljuk architecture, and the final
resting places of many eminent figures of the
period. Most of the kümbets have a square
base above which is a polygonal drum supporting
a cylindrical body, covered by a conical roof
with an interior cupola. A few, such as that
of Seyh Necmeddin, are square.

One of the most distinctive kümbets is
that of Emir Bayindir, encircled
by short columns linked by arches. Among those
most renowned for their ornate carving are Usta
Sagirt Kümbet (Ulu Kümbet) dated
1273, the Hasan Padisah Kümbet and
Double Kümbets dating from around the same
time, the Hüseyin Timur Kümbet (1279)
and Bugatay Aka Kümbet (1281). As we went
from one to the other, we felt as if we had
travelled back in time. Most had richly decorated
portals, carved in relief with dragons, geometric
and floriate motifs, and inscriptions.

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The
Seljuk graveyard at Ahlat is another extraordinary
sight. Here the graves are marked not by kümbets,
but by great stones 2 metres in height, known
locally as akit. Like the kümbets,
the stone carving on these tombstones is remarkable,
turning the cemetery into an openair museum.
No two are alike, and for hours we wandered
from one to the other.

On the days that remained to us we visited the
ancient ruined city, the Ottoman castle whose
construction commenced during the reign of Sultan
Süleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566) and
was completed during the reign of his son Selim
II (1566-1574), Ahlat Museum and other sights.
hlat is a town with a population of over ten
thousand which sprawls along its 5 kilometre
long main street, Sanayi Caddesi. Seated on
small stools outside the coffee houses and shops
along here we got to know the town's modern
inhabitants over our glasses of strong tea.
Behind the main street are the charming one
and two storey houses built of local Ahlat stone,
and almost buried in green foliage.

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Each house has a large garden planted with mainly
apricot, cherry, walnut and plum trees, and
surrounded by a wall of the same stone. As we
wandered around we were offered fruit by the
women, who spend their lives behind these walls.

The economy of Ahlat is based on farming and
animal husbandry, but it is also famous still
for its stone and stone masons. As well as the
Ahlat stone, pumice is quarried in the region.
With its spectacular setting on Lake Van, Mount
Nemrut, fascinating historic monuments, and
friendly inhabitants Ahlat more than repaid
our curiosity.
We ended our sightseeing with a visit to Lake
Nazik, accompanied by local journalist Mehmet
Ali Köprücü. Like Lake Van this
was also formed by a lava dam. The views were
superb, and we did not return until we had watched
the sun set over the beautiful landscape. The
exhilaration of seeing new places and making
new friends was now mingled with the sadness
of departure, but we were taking with us wonderful
memories of Ahlat.